Method of purification of hydrocarbons



Sept. 3, 1929. l. H. DERBY ET AL 1,727,052

METHOD OF PURIFICATION OF HYDROCARBON Filed Feb. 13 1922 if f l 3m 1S3 R. m

'P........is....;3,1a; 1 1,727,052 UNlT-ED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE.

IRA H. DERBY AND KENNETH R. DAVIS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA; SAID DERBY ASSIGNOB '10 PETER C. REILLY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

METHOD OF PURIFICATION OF HYDROCARBONS.

Application filed February 13, 1922. Serial No. 536,191.

This invention pertains to the purification like material, admits of the escape of air of hydrocarbons such as are solid at ordinary and any entrained substance removed thereby atmospheric temperatures. from the material undergoing treatment.

It has to do more particularly with the In operating, say on naphthalene, it is 5 purification of hydrocarbons of the aromatic brought to a temperature of say from 100 00 series or their derivatives, and also hydrocarto 120 (land the cold air or gas blast, at aphon derivatives of the aliphatic or open chain proximately lbs. pressure, turned on series. I throu 'h pipe 5. The molten naphthalene is Naphthalene and other hydrocarbons have then a llowed to flow through pipe 3 and enter- 10 heretofore been purified by various methods, ing nozzle 4, into which it is drawn by the air, the final steps of which methods have been is thoroughly intermixed with and broken either sublimation, distillation or other physu by the air leaving the nozzle in the form ical ope-rations. \Ve have found, however, 0 a mist. The chamber 6 shortly becomes a the p rification of naphthalene, or other filled with the fine flake-like articles which 15'. hydrocarbons of the types above specified, float around therein and fina 1y settle down cam be accomplished better, quicker and to the floor. It will be found that such parcheaper by atomizing the same while in a ticles are crystalline in form; it will also be :liquid condition. It is preferable to carry found that the material has been freed of out the process at the lowest temperatures moisture and such oils as are entrained and 20 possible. carried over as the material leaves the still.

Am suitable form of apparatus may be The product produced is very pure commeremployed. cial naphthalene and in a form which may be In the annexed drawing there is disclosed readily utilized.

' an apparatus whit-hive have successfully em- It is found that atomization is an improve- 25 ploved, vwherein,- ment over distillation, chilling and crushing a. i i 1 1g. 1 1s a sectional elevation of a melting not onl from the points of time and labor pan or heating, receptacle and an enclosure saving ut also in that the product is much or room mto which the atomized material is purer. The yield from a given amount of blown; and naphthalene charged into a still is greater in 30 Fig. is a transverse el'tl(t1l sectional view that; it, is not necessary to take off as large a 86 on the line Il-II of Fig. 1. head as under the old processes. Atoniiza- In said drawings, which are more 1' 1055 tion is. an improvement over sublimation in diagrammatic, 1 denotes tl ltlllk ()l' receptacle that, it; is so much quicker and cheaper and into which the material to he treated is passed giv a b tt r pr duct for w rki up i preferably directly from the Still in which cgcdin tep in manufacturing de vafivg$ 90 it is produced. T0 llltllllttllll at it [)lOptfl Napht, alene flQn] the at, 78,5 mutemperature, or to first m'clt it, in case it ing point, upon atomization giv s a product becomes solidified within the tank, a heating lti t h t 75) 5 C, coil 2 is placed therein. A valved pipe 3 Any form of device for securing atomiza- 40 leads from the tank and terminates in a ti n may be ploy d, but; th mpl y t nozzle 4, preferably of the spray or whirling of a nozzle having the central air jet with a type,-a pipe 5 also being connected into the wliirler is preferred, as it is found that a nozzle and connected to a source of cointhorough interminglingofthe compressed air pressed air 0| Ollie! inert gas. The nozzle 01 inc -t gas and a complete breaking up of head terminates within a chamber or housing th at rial in liquidbase is etfeetetl and 6 adjacent the upper portion thereof, two this without the formation of any droplets of of such nozzles being shown in the instant the material which, of course, is undesirable. case, though, of course, any nuiiiliei' may be As above indicated, various substances may employed dependent upon the sup ily of the be treated, as, ,for instance, anthracene, at a 50 material to be treated and the size of the temperature of 225 to 250 C., and plienunimpounding chamber. Preferably the chamthrene, to C. Carbazol, which is it her will be normally closed when the process solid derivative of a hydrocarbon, melting at is under way, except for vents, such as 7, 245 to 265" C., (depending upon its purity) 'which are covered by suitable material as may he treatedin a similar manner. with good 6 cheesecloth which, while arresting the tlakeresults. Generally stated the preferred tem- 110 perature employed is about 20 to 50 C. above the melting point of the substance to be atomized.

The term normally solid hydrocarbon compound is intended to cover the hydrocarbons and their derivatives as herein described.

What is claimed is 1. That method of purifying normally solid hydrocarbon compounds which consists in atomizing such a material While in a molten condition, by subjecting the same to a blast of inert gas.

2. That method of purifying normally solid hydrocarbon compounds which consists in heating such a material to a degree approximately 20 C. above its melting point and atomizing the same by the employment of a blast of inert gas.

3. That method of purifying normally solid hydrocarbon compounds which consists in heating such a material to a degree approximately 20 C, above its melting point, and atomizing and blowing the same into a chamber closed against the egress of the flakelike particles produced by such atomization 4. That method of purifying naphthalene,- Which consists in heating the same to such a degree as to render it fluid; and thereafter atomizing the same while at an atmospheric pressure at which the said naphthalene can exist as a solid. a

5. That method of purifying naphthalene, which consists in bringing the same into a liquid phase and subjecting the material while in such condition to an atomizing air blast at a relatively lower temperature at which said naphthalene can exist as a solid.

6. That method of purifying naphthalene which consists in raising the temperature thereof to a point at least 20 C. above its melting point and thereafter atomizing the same into a chamber by an air blast of a relatively lower temperature.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

IRA H. DERBY. V KENNETH R. DAVIS. 

